The new iPhone 7 was announced this week…

The new iPhone 7 was announced this week. Notably, it no longer has a headphone jack.

Instead, Apple is offering new wireless AirPods, available for purchase as an accessory, that will effectively put radio transceivers in your ears.

Why is this important?

Apple warns on RF exposure

Apple includes a warning on wireless radio frequency (RF) exposure in the Legal section of their website, which requires tenacity to find.

Apple recommends distancing the iPhone from your body to reduce RF exposure

For earlier iPhone models like the iPhone 6s, Apple recommends: ”To reduce exposure to RF energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built in speakerphone, the supplied headphones or other similar accessories. Carry iPhone at least 5mm away from your body to ensure exposure levels remain at, or below, the as-tested levels.”

Now Apple sells wireless earbuds(!)

Using the new wireless AirPods with the iPhone 7 will simply replace one radio transmitter (the iPhone) with another (the AirPods). In your ears. Yikes!

Additionally, using wireless headphones will increase RF exposure because, presumably, people will use them not only for phone calls, but for other applications like listening to music and podcasts. Currently, you may only hold the phone to your head for a few minutes during a phone call, with wireless headphones there is the potential for much longer use. 

How this might impact health

We already know from the May 2016 NTP study that cell phone radiation leads to an increased risk of cancer in rats. Now, the latest NTP findings indicate that exposure to cell phone radiation also shows DNA breakage in the brains of rats. This article in Microwave News states that there is “a well-established principle that DNA damage can lead to cancer development and growth.”

Even mainstream media outlets like CNN are talking about the NTP study: “CNN typically does not report on animal studies, because the results often don’t translate to humans. However, these rare, aggressive, malignant tumors that occurred in male rats are the very same tumors found in epidemiologic studies in humans using cell phones for the longest period of time.”

Stay with me. There is a bright side. The iPhone 7 will come with wired headphones. However, a Lightning adapter (supplied) is required to use them or any other wired headphones with the device.

Bottom line: if you must get an iPhone 7, make a wise choice and use the wired headphones! 

By |2021-03-20T15:54:08-07:00September 14th, 2016|EMF Inspection|

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